Beef Garam Masala

This is why I love Indian food! It explodes in your mouth with the richest, most complex flavors imaginable. Granted, this recipe isn’t authentic Indian, it’s just my own interpretation. But it’s really quite delicious if I do say so myself!

I really wasn’t looking for another beef recipe. I do love beef, but it’s not the most heart-healthy protein out there. Or environment-healthy either, for that matter. But…I’m new to pressure cooking and have been playing with different ideas for what to make in my new Instant Pot (I have the 6-qt model). The chuck roast I bought for beef stew was twice what I needed (oops!). I wasn’t going to throw the other half away, now, was I? Of course not!

Most of the Instant Pot beef recipes I’ve seen call for using a chuck roast, browning it in large pieces, and only after that cutting it into bite size pieces. It certainly saves some time to do it that way, and the other theory is that it helps prevent the beef from drying out. From the 2 beef recipes I’ve made so far, there’s enough fat in a chuck roast to make drying out not so much of an issue. So feel free to cut before browning, or use stew meat if that’s your preference. You really don’t lose any flavor by going with the bigger pieces in this recipe, though, so why not take the easy way? Of course, you could also make this on your stovetop or in your slow cooker.

You might look at the ingredient list – specifically, the ½ tsp of cayenne – and wonder, “Just how spicy is this dish?” That depends on your reference scale. If you use real Buffalo chicken wings as your benchmark for how spicy something is, and by “real” I mean actually in Buffalo, someplace good like The Anchor Bar or Duff’s, you’ll consider this “medium hot”. If you’re accustomed to “Buffalo” chicken wings from elsewhere, I expect you’d call this “hot.” What did you expect from people who think the first 40°F day in the spring means break out the shorts & flip-flops? Buffalonians are tough! Really nice, too. I loved living there. Anyway, you can easily control the heat by using less (or more!) cayenne.

Do be careful with your choice of salt. I had no idea there was so much variation in kosher salts until I read this NYT article.

You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

“You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you’re gonna get killed by eggs, or beef, or global warming, or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible. Like maybe you survive.” –The Doctor

1.) With the lid off, turn the Instant Pot on in sauté mode (normal level). While you wait for it to get hot, cut the beef horizontally into two or three pot-size pieces. They’ll be about the size and thickness of a good steak. Sprinkle the salt & pepper evenly over the beef.

2.) Brown the beef chunks one at a time, using about a teaspoon of the olive oil for each. As each piece finishes browning, remove it to a cutting board or plate.

3.) While the beef is browning, chop the onions and mince the garlic. Once the last piece of beef has been removed, add 2 tsp of the oil to the pot. Wait for the display to tell you that the pot is hot again, then add the chopped onions. Sauté about 2 – 3 minutes, until onions are just getting soft and a bit translucent. Push the onions to the sides of the pot to clear a small space. Add the last teaspoon of oil, then the garlic, and sauté about 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic is fragrant.

4.) While the onions are cooking, quickly cut the beef into smaller chunks, about 1½” – 2″. Measure all the spices into a small prep bowl. Aren’t they gorgeous?

5.) When the onions and garlic are done, add the spices to the pot. Sauté about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

6.) Stir in the can of diced tomatoes, scraping up all the yummy browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the water, tomato paste, lentils, and beef.

7.) Press “Cancel/Keep Warm” to end the sauté program. Put the lid on, checking carefully to make sure it is properly locked and the steam valve is turned to “sealed.” Press the “stew” button. When it turns on in a few seconds, the display should show high pressure, normal, and 30 minutes.

8.) When the time is up, carefully do a quick release before opening the pot. Serve over brown rice, sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro.

Directions

1.) With the lid off, turn the Instant Pot on in sauté mode (normal level). While you wait for it to get hot, cut the beef into two or three pot-size pieces. Sprinkle the salt & pepper evenly over the beef.
2.) Brown the beef chunks one at a time, using about a teaspoon of the olive oil for each. As each piece finishes browning, remove it to a cutting board or plate.
3.) While the beef is browning, chop the onions and mince the garlic. Once the last piece of beef has been removed, add 2 tsp of the oil to the pot. Wait for the display to tell you that the pot is hot again, then add the chopped onions. Sauté about 2 – 3 minutes, until onions are just getting soft and a bit translucent. Push the onions to the sides of the pot to clear a small space. Add the last teaspoon of oil, then the garlic, and sauté about 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
4.) While the onions are cooking, quickly cut the beef into smaller chunks, about 1½” – 2″. Measure all the spices into a small prep bowl.
5.) When the onions and garlic are done, add the spices to the pot. Sauté about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
6.) Stir in the can of diced tomatoes, scraping up all the yummy browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the water, tomato paste, lentils, and beef.
7.) Press “Cancel/Keep Warm” to end the sauté program. Put the lid on, checking carefully to make sure it is properly locked and the steam valve is turned to “sealed.” Press the “stew” button. When it turns on in a few seconds, the display should show high pressure, normal, and 30 minutes.
8.) When the time is up, carefully do a quick release before opening the pot. Serve over brown rice, sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro.